The present invention relates generally to the permanent and temporary closure of threaded and plain end piping. More particularly, the present invention relates to a dual-size plumbing end cap.
Plumbing end caps are primarily designed for, but not limited to, temporarily and/or permanently closing the ends of all types of plumbing systems including, without limitation, waste piping, waste vents, storm drainage and irrigation pipe systems.
There are many instances in new construction, as well as in commercial and residential remodeling, when service technicians and homeowners desire to temporarily or permanently cap a pipe in order to make repairs, test newly installed piping, etc. For example, caps are used to pressurize systems for testing and inspection for installation and material defects. In another example, plumbing lines dedicated for future use are installed and capped until they are needed. During remodeling, plumbing lines that are being relocated need to be capped during while the new piping following the new route is being installed. Pipe ends are also capped when piping is to be permanently abandoned or in order to leave an accessible pipe end where a cap can be removed to allow for servicing and cleaning the piping system.
During the process of plumbing residential and commercial structures, a number of plumbing systems are installed. After each stage of piping installation, these systems must be tested and approved by the local building authorities. In order to accomplish this, the ends of all piping outlets are temporarily capped and sealed to allow pressure to be applied to this system, generally by the use of air or water, to expose possible installation and material defects. After successful completion of the tests, the systems are drained, the caps are removed and the next stage of installation is resumed. The process is repeated until the project is completed.
The above is only a limited sampling of the abundance of situations where plumbing caps are used; caps which necessarily come in an array of sizes and materials as there are a multitude of plumbing systems which require piping in a multitude of sizes and materials. For example, in small three bathroom residences, there are generally four common pipe sizes for waste and vent piping systems, 1½″, 2″, 3″ and 4″ diameters. Each pipe diameter is used according to the demand of the fixture it services. For example, a water closet drain will normally be serviced by a 3″ or 4″ pipe size. Lavatory and kitchen sink drains will normally be serviced by an 1½″ or 2″ pipe sizes. Additionally, building codes may require that each drain be provided with a separate vent pipe in order to allow the fixture drain to breathe. Each of these pipe ends must be capped and pressurized during the construction process. Depending on the jurisdiction, the piping materials used on these systems could include, without limitation, plain and threaded end cast iron pipe, copper tubing, steel pipe and a variety of plastic pipe.
In the above example of a three-bathroom residence, there would need to be a minimum of twenty caps of four varying pipe sizes to properly test the waste and vent systems whereas a multi-family residence, apartment building, condominium, hotel, medical facility or high rise structure would use thousands of caps per project to complete a required plumbing test. Furthermore, larger structures have an increased demand which increases the size of the overall piping system. These larger piping system sizes can range from a 1½″ outside diameter to a 16″ outside diameter and larger.
Currently the most popular method of capping these systems is by way of a single diameter pipe cap. The most common type of pipe cap used for this type of capping is made of an elastomeric material including, but not limited to, rubber, synthetic rubber, silicone or a plastic material. The cap is manufactured to form to the contour of the pipe end and is fastened to the pipe end by the use of a stainless steel work drive clamp. These caps, at one time referred to under the name Jim Caps, are reusable and used daily by plumbing professionals, builders, service persons and home owners. They are inventoried at all plumbing wholesalers, home centers and hardware establishments. However, each of these caps only accommodates a single size of pipe.
Accordingly, there is a need for an end cap that can accommodate more than one pipe size. There is a further need for an end cap that accommodates a particular pipe size in a first configuration and then accommodates another pipe size in a second configuration. There is also a need for an end cap that accommodates a first pipe size as well as a second pipe size either one size larger than or one size smaller than the first pipe size. The present invention satisfies these needs and provides other related advantages.